The Fever Began to Spread
by Bottlefame-Brewglory
Summary: Eric aches with longing for Snow White, the newly crowned Queen after the fall of Ravenna. He is desperate to leave and forget her, so she can live happily without him. Will Snow be able to stop him from leaving? Will she be able to survive without her Huntsman? A one-shot. No smut.


_Author Note - So basically, as well as almost everyone else in this fandom, the ending and romance level disappointed me. This is my take on what happened after Snow's coronation. I hope you enjoy it! Please review! _

**_The Fever Began to Spread._**

The sea of unknown faces looked up at her and she smiled uncertainly. Their shouts rang through the hall and she could feel it shaking through her body as they began to applaud. The cool metal of her mother's crown, now her own, pressed against her head, but she did not care for her status now. She didn't care that she was now the rightful Queen and she could carry on in her father's footprints. She only wanted and cared for him.

William beamed as her green eyes flickered over his and she felt her heart twist with pain. _He _was the man she was supposed to be in love with. The man she should be planning a wedding and eagerly waiting for him to become King and rule by her side. Yet, Snow, had never gone along with anything that had been expected of her, whether it by force or choice.

Movement towards the back of the room caused Snow's eyes to stray and her breathing hitched. Eric was looking back at her and pride and longing burned so fiercely in his blue eyes that she was not sure if she could ever look away from him again. She watched him as he smiled hesitantly at her and she felt heat rise up her neck. Snow and Eric stared at each other for what felt like eternity, until someone was lightly pushing her off the platform and towards the crowd of people who swarmed towards her. That was when she was swept out of site and he felt cold again.

He watched as many people crowded around his Queen. She was just a girl, a young and beautiful girl who had been imprisoned for almost a decade and now imprisoned again, but of a different sort. She was now sworn to her people and had a responsibility for their lives. How would she know what to do when she had barely lived herself?

She was just a girl. The girl that he had travelled so far with had protected and had fallen in love with. She was so pure and whole and he was the opposite. He knew he was wrong for her, knew with all of her heart that her hand should go to William because he was noble and would treat her right, but when he thought of it his back would tense and his heart would ache and he would suddenly become aware of the axe that dangled off of his hip.

He knew that he would never forget her when he left, that he would never be able to move on. A shard of his soul would stick with her and he wished it would not be forever, but he knew it would be and that it would kill him and that the pain would be unbearable. She didn't know how perfect she was and how much she meant to him and now he would have to go months or years without her company or voice and if he chanced upon her, the feeling would come flooding back to consume him like the darkness of night. He wished, so much that he could have her, but once she married William too much would have changed and there would be nothing he could do to alter that. His missing piece of soul would be stuck with her forever because she would not be able to give it back, because she didn't know she had it.

He sighed and exited the hall, his body filled with defeat as he heard William's hearty laughter from behind.

He was greeted with a blast of chilling air and he instantly wrapped his arms around himself. His leathers were being repaired, where he did not know as Snow had ordered him to strip and give them to her after the battle. He trusted he would be able to find some before he left, he was not going to wait around for his originals to be repaired.

He glanced around the street. There was a thick layer of snow on the ground, some areas untouched and others turned to slush and mixed with mud. The smell of baking bread filled the air and Eric breathed deeply.

"Where are you going?" A familiar voice said from behind and Eric spun on his heel. Walking towards him was a stocky, brown haired blacksmith, by the name of Sam Tackwell. Eric had fought alongside him when Snow and her supporters had stormed the Queen's castle.

"Away," was Eric's reply and the goofy smile the smith had been wearing disappeared, replaced by shock.

"Surely she won't let you leave?"

Eric laughed as he looked towards the church. The crowd had moved outside now and it seemed that they were all still eager to speak to their new Queen. He saw a flash of black hair and skin as white as snow before he focused back on to Sam's steel-grey eyes.

"I don't think she'd have much of a choice."

Sam looked over to the crowd, his brow creased and a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. He ran his hands through his messy hair and looked back to the Huntsman.

"Are you leaving or are you running?" He said knowingly and his smile grew wider as Eric shifted his weight and looked at the ground. "You're running from her?"

"Aye," Eric replied soberly before he turned and walked down the street, his only thought was for the pub where he could drink and not think of Snow or even Sara.

888

The snow crunched beneath her feet as she walked, alone, along the path that led to the pub. She knew she would find him there and she knew that he would be extremely intoxicated. So it surprised her severely when she walked in to find him with a glass of water before him.

"Eric?" She whispered quiet enough that she believed he would not hear her. It was the second time that day she had been proved wrong. As he looked up she saw the pain, sorrow and anguish that burned like fire in his blue eyes that had always captivated her.

"Your Highness," he mumbled back as she sat down before him. She had changed in to something that most would not deem appropriate for a Queen to wear, but no one had stopped her. So she had walked out of the castle in thick woollen tights, a warm fur coat and boots. She noticed the way Eric's eyes kept straying to her boots, the same boots he had stolen for her in their travels.

"I believe that may be to formal, since it is coming from the man who dragged me, relentlessly, through the Dark Forest and fought by my side every second," she replied with a smile, glad that he met her eyes and smiled back, albeit faintly.

"Aye, milady," Eric responded as he bowed his head. His smile grew as he heard her growl.

"_Eric,_" she whined and he began to laugh, not realising how his deep rumble affected her. She watched his lips and the way his body shook, she was utterly enthralled by him and he seemed to notice because suddenly he stopped laughing and looked at her seriously. Before he had the chance to say anything she had stood, grabbed his arm and tried to ignore how muscular it was. She then tugged him towards the door.

They walked in silence, the sound of the village people working, laughing and the snow crunching beneath them their only company. Snow led the way while Eric followed behind making sure he kept his eyes focused on her flowing black hair and not her curves.

"Snow," he said as she began walking towards a thicket of trees, "where are we going?"

She merely turned around and smiled at him, causing his heart to stutter and leaving the question unanswered.

They continued to walk even once they had reached the trees. Birds sang and chirped as they darted through the canopies above, squirrels look down upon them and rabbits fled to their homes.

Finally she stopped and Eric knew they were far from the town, the only noise now being that from nature.

"You can't leave Eric," she whispered as she turned around and took a step towards him, "I need you here. I can barely sleep without your presence."

The Huntsman felt his stomach drop as he watched a tear roll down her cheek. He longed to reach out and wipe it away. He glanced down at his hands, filthy and calloused, and up to her cheek, smooth and clean. He was wrong for her.

"I doubt you would lose sleep over me, Snow," he replied shakily as she took another step closer.

"It's been so long since I've been apart from you and I cannot stand it."

"Nonsense," Eric objected as he followed another tear roll down her cheek. His hand twitched and she noticed.

"Eric," she whispered and her tone conveyed her feelings, how broken she felt inside and how she knew he could repair her. Another step closer and she could feel the heat emanating from his body.

"Snow, don't," he growled. He could feel her small puffs of breath brushing over his face. Her eyes filled again and another tear fell. He could stand it no longer.

He reached up and gently wiped the tear away. He noticed the way her breath hitched and he smiled. Her green eyes looked up at him and they appeared to be begging. He took a sharp breath and looked away.

"You've protected me for so long; do you think you can just stop?" She asked as her hand timidly reached up to run a finger along his jaw line. Her stomach flipped as he shuddered and looked down at her.

"No," he whispered and he seemed as if he was physically pained by the truth. The last thing he wanted to do was leave her, but it hurt more when he was with her.

She smiled and reached upwards, her lips lightly brushing over his. The touch was tantalizing for both of them. Eric's hand moved down to grip her by the waist and the other grasped her hand that was rested on his cheek.

He pulled her towards him, cursing his weakness, but forgetting all when her lips settled on his. They were soft and timid, just as the girl herself. He felt one of her hands grasp the back of her neck, the other held on to his hand as if it were a life line.

The kiss grew deeper and more passionate the longer it went. They both drew back for breath and then met once more, but there was more drive this time and the Huntsman felt his will evaporate when she opened her mouth to him and moaned.

He felt her pushing against him, but also following him. He lost his balance and he fell. He felt her land on top of him and continued their kiss as if nothing happened. He rolled her over so now she held his weight. They finally broke apart and he looked down at her.

Snow shivered beneath him at the look in his eyes. They were blue fire and they burned with longing and want and all other emotions that she couldn't name. A heat burned through her and she pulled him closer, her heart hammering in her chest.

She moaned again and the Huntsman had to restrain himself from ravishing her then and there.

"Enough," he growled as he attempted to stand. Snow's hands were fastened on to his shirt and her chest was heaving. He found it difficult to look away, her beauty made it hard to breath.

She slid her hands up his shirt and smiled cheekily at him. She was sick of behaving and having to act as people expected. She wanted him to make her his.

He groaned and tried to deter her hands, but she would not. She stretched up and kissed his neck, causing him to groan louder and clutch her waist as if for support. She did not wince at the brute strength he used, she _enjoyed_ the pain, it made her realise that he was there and that she was not dreaming.

"Snow," he gasped as she sucked at his collar bone. His heart thundered in his chest and his mind screamed at him to stop. He should be courting her, treating her like the Queen she is.

He rolled off of her and he heard her huff in protest. He looked over to her, his breath being ripped from his lungs and his smile causing her to laugh. He admired her swollen lips and how her green eyes were sparking with joy.

"Another time?" She whimpered and Eric broke eye contact and looked at the sky above them. This was so wrong, but every fibre in his body egged him to answer her with what was in his heart and soul.

"Yes," he murmured as he reached out for her hand and grasped it. She lightly squeezed back and laughed gently.

"That means you have no choice. You have to stay."

Fin


End file.
